Londt Park clean sweep

OLD PRO: Kyle Schwarz watches as Greg La Mude plays out of the backhand corner in the men’s final of the Joe Davis Locksmiths Crusaders Challenge at Saders yesterday. Picture: FREDLIN ADRIAAN

GREG La Mude and Jacqui Ryder made it a Londt Park squash double when they were crowned champions in the Joe Davis Locksmiths Crusaders Challenge at Saders yesterday.

Both players continued the dominance they had displayed during the tournament in the finals, each winning 3-0.

Ryder regained the title she last won in 2011 by showing she had the edge on Westview rival Janet Byrnes. It was a good contest, with Byrnes continually pushing hard as she tried to find a way back into the match after conceding the early advantage.

But each time she drew close, Ryder would manage to stay ahead and the Londt Park player fully deserved her victory.

The men’s final was an entertaining encounter, featuring the same two players who had contested the EP Closed two weeks ago in La Mude and Kyle Schwarz.

NMMU’s Schwarz is one of the toughest players to subdue in the province, but again he was unable to make much headway against the relentless pressure exerted by the top seed.

Try as he might, Schwarz could not counter La Mude’s experience and shot control as the Londt Park man dictated most of the rallies to notch up another tournament triumph.

At the conclusion of the tournament, the EP selectors announced the squads for the Jarvis and Kaplan Cups to be played in July.